License to Wonder Together

Does it sometimes feel like you are “going rogue” if you start to question your practice as an educator?

Does it feel a bit sneaky or undermining if you ask, “what if ….” or “what about….” or “why couldn’t we try…”?

What if educators were all given the license to wonder freely and openly – to ask new questions about their work- and then the time to hold on to a question and try to answer it?

I’m not talking about a crazy world here, where any off-the-cuff wild idea could fly. I’m not talking about experimenting irresponsibly with student learning.

I AM thinking about an intentional inquiry, based on valid information and solid teaching, allowing some professional freedom to work on a specific question over time.

Stop.

Right here and now…what is your gut reaction to that?

Exhausted? Intrigued? Uncomfortable?

It is not the norm in education to hone our owe curiosity as professionals. It acknowledges that we don’t have it all figured out. That is unsafe.

And there are many, many historical reasons why inquiry-based professional learning is not the current reality for many educators in American schools.

But I am currently wondering this question:

If inquiry is key for our students and essential in raising a generation of innovators and problem solvers, how could we, as educators, live this out in our own thinking as well? How specifically could we allow curiosity for each other?

Do you have space to wonder as a professional?

Because…

Our students deserve to learn in a curious environment. How in the world will we be able to cultivate this if it is far from our own reality?